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Joel Matip: 'Style of play not to blame for slow Liverpool start'

Joel Matip: 'Style of play not to blame'
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Joel Matip admits that Liverpool's high-pressing football "is not always easy", but he believes that Jurgen Klopp would be wrong to alter his preferred style of play.

Liverpool defender Joel Matip has defended manager Jurgen Klopp's playing style, insisting that the club's high-pressing football is not to blame for their slow start to the season.

The Reds have won just four of their nine competitive matches in all competitions this season, seeing them exit the EFL Cup early on and fall five points adrift of early pacesetters Manchester United and Manchester City in the top flight.

Matip believes that Klopp would be wrong to alter Liverpool's current playing system, though, despite failing to win any of their last four games in what has been a tricky opening couple of months.

"Everything has its positive and negative sides but I have no doubt about our way of playing," he told NBC Sports. "I cannot stand at the back and our attackers go forward and there is so much big space. We all have to fit together.

"It is not always easy but this is our way of play. I think that is a good way of playing. We have had our good moments and also our not so good moments. We were punished for these and it was ruthless, the first few games, but we have to carry on. I am not in doubt about the quality in our team."

Liverpool face Leicester City in the top flight on Saturday afternoon - the same side that knocked them out of the EFL Cup in midweek.

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Jurgen Klopp watches the warm-up ahead of the Premier League game between Liverpool and Burnley on September 16, 2017
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2Manchester CityMan City6420146814
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4Chelsea6411157813
5Aston Villa6411129313
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7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle632187111
8Tottenham HotspurSpurs6312125710
9Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton623110829
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11Bournemouth622289-18
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13Manchester UnitedMan Utd621358-37
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17Leicester CityLeicester6033812-43
18Crystal Palace603359-43
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20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves6015616-101


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